The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting approximately 2.5 million people around the world, with a higher risk in women. It is an autoimmune disease that attacks the protective myelin sheath of the neurons in the Central Nervous System (CNS) and results in inflammation and lesions. Patients with MS show one or more symptoms affecting sensation, movement and strength, and feeling and thinking. Symptoms are variable and some may be hidden for years before being diagnosed. MS can be either relapsing or progressive form and 85% of the patients are in the former condition.
The disease onset is still unclear and there is no cure for MS yet. There are several approved disease modifying drugs to modulate the immune system and decrease the frequency and severity of attacks or relapses. To date, no therapeutic drug is available to stop or reverse neurodegeneration. Of all the anti-inflammatory drugs, humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the adhesion molecule integrin alpha-4 (ITGA4) has shown to be effective in treating Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS). However, the side effects associated with the use of monoclonal antibodies such as infusion reaction, hypersensitivity and presence of neutralizing antibodies still persist in patients.
The present invention seeks to provide an alternative method to treat, prevent or ameliorate the effects of multiple sclerosis.